Sheet-handling machine



Patented June 15, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

mam

Ewmtw':

H. M. BARBER. SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JANA. 1918.

Patented June 15, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mi. 77m

H. M. BARBER.

SHEET HANDLING'MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, I918.

Patented J une 15 ,1920, 3 SHEET3 SHEET 3.

UNITEKDSTIYATFES, PATENT orFice.

HOWARD M. BARBER, OF STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO C. B. CO'ITRELL &; SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. I, GOREORA'IION OF DELAWARE.

SHEET-HANDLING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. BARBER,

' a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet- Handling Machines, of which the following is a spec fication. p a

Myinventionrelates to improvements in signature stitching and folding mechanisms whereby accurate folding of the, signature along its stitched line is insured by means for adjusting the parts while the mechanisms are operating. 7 a

My invention more particularly includes a rotary sheet carriersuch, for instance, as the cylinder forming part of a folding mechanism, grippers on the carrier, means for operating the grippers at theirtaking and releasing points, a stitchermechanism, its table, a sheet stopfor the stitcher table, a cam on the rotary sheet-carrier arranged to operate the sheet stop tow permit the vstitched signature to be taken by the grip pers on the rotary carrier at the proper time, and means for adjusting the position of the sheet stop with respect to the taking point ofsaid grippers whereby the grippers will be caused to close onto the signature at varying distances from the head of the signature in the rotary movement of the carrier to accurately adjust the fold line to bring it along-the stitched :line of the signature, the whole being accomplished while the machine is in operation; it being understood that ,the stitcher mechanism is ad justed together withthe sheet stop to maintain the predetermined distance between the is represented sheet stop and the stitched line. a

A practical embodiment of my invention inythe accompanying drawin s in which, i Figure 1 represents in end elevation so much of a sheet handling machine as will give a clear understanding of my invention, the female folding cylinder being removed. Fig. 2 is a section taken in the plane of the line II-II of Fig. 1, a portionof the female foldingcylinder being shown.

Fig. 3 is a detail section at the sheet stop. Fig. dis a cross section taken in the plane of the line IVs-4V of Fig. 2, and,

J Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jun 15, 1920 Application filed January 4, 1918. Serial No. 210,342. '7

cross-bar 7, carried by arms 8, 9, depending from the cross-shaft 10 supported in the side frames 11, 12 of the machine. The free ends of these stop fingers 6, when the stop is lowered, are located in 1 the circumferential grooves 13 of the rotary sheet carrier, 141-, which, in the present instance, is one member of a pair of coacting foldingcylinders,

namely, the member which carries the fold ing blade 15 which coacts with theifolding jaw 16 carried by the other member 17 of the folding cylinders. This rotary carrier 14: is mounted on a suitable cross-shaft 18, and it carries a set of tumbler actuated grippers 19, the tumbler 20 of which grippers is engaged by its actuating pin 21 at the taking point for the grippers and by the actuating pin22 at the releasing point for the grippers, this mechanism being of well known and approved form.

The mechanism for controlling the opera tion of the folding blade 15 and folding jaws 16, is not shown herein, but it is understood that itmay be of any well known or approved construction operative to cause the signature to. be foldedzoff from the carrier 14: onto the carrier, 17 The rotary carrier 14 is provided with a peripheral cam 23 arranged in position to engage a stud orroller 24 carried by a two-armed lever 25, 26, fixed to the cross-bar 7 of the sheet stop, at the proper time to raise the sheet stop topermit the stitched signature to be transferred from the stitcher table 1 to the grippers 19. A rod 27 is attached at one end to the arm 26, and slidably engages a stud 28. A. spring 29 interposed between this stud 28 and a collar 30, tends to yieldinglyhold the stop in its operative position with the fingers 6 a worms 36 meshing with worm gears 37 which have-a threaded engagement with the studs 33. This shaft 35 is provided with a. suitable hand wheel'38, and byturning this handwheel, the auXili-aryframe is moved longitudinally 'ofthe table 1. {The sheet stop is-moved witlrthe auxiliary'frame of the stitcher to maintain the stitcher and sheetstop in the same relationship. This is accomplishedfby providing upright shafts 39-.whi'ch have a bevel gear engagement 40, 41, with the shaft 35, and a bevel gear engagement 42, 413, with the longitudinally arranged shafts iet mounted adjacent to the carriers 43 in fixed bearings 15 and at their other ends having a screw threaded engagemer t-with studs 46 at the free ends of the depending arms 8, 9.

*In operation, the signature is fed onto the stitcher table 1, against the fingers 6 of the sheet stop, and the signatures are "then stitched. The sheet, stopfingers are then raised at the proper time to transfer the head end of the signature to the grippers 19 of the rotary carrier 14. The grippers 19 close on the head end of the signature and at the proper time the grippers 1.9 are opened to release the signature to permit it to be folded off onto the carrier 17 by the coactio'n of the folding devices 15, 16.

To accurately register the foldalong the stitched line, the sheet stop and the stitcher may be bodily adjusted along the stitcher table with respect to the taking point of the grippers 19, to cause the grippcrsto close onto the head end ofthe signature at varying' distances from the head of thesignature,'as may be necessary for registry. This may be readily accomplished as heretofore pointed out, by turning the hand wheel 38 inone direction or the other. a

The novel features of this invention which aredirected 'to the combination of stapling and 3 folding 3 mechanisms form the subjectmatter of divisional application filed April 22, 1918'," Serial bio-2300 66, and the novel "features of this inventiondirected to stitching mechanisms and a sheet stop therefor,

' formthe subject-matter of divisional application I filed April 23, 1918, Serial- No.

' It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction and ardescribed, but

What I claim is: 1. A rotary carrier provided with grippers, means for operating the grippers, a table, a sheet stop, its rocking support, a movable carrier for said support, means for rocking said support to raise and lower the sheet stop, and means for adjusting the carrier to move the sheet stop with respect to the taking point of the grippers.

'2. A rotary carrier provided with grippers, means for operating the grippers, a table, a sheet stop, itsiocking support, a movable carrier for said support, means for rocking said support to raise and lower the sheet stop, and means for adjusting the carrier to move the sheet stop with respect to the taking'pointof the grippers while the carrier is rotating.

8-. A rotary carrier provided with grippers, means for operating the, grippers, a table, a sheet stop comprising a plurality of fingers, their rocking support and a. movable carrier for said support, means for rocking said support to raise and lower the fingers, means for adjusting the carrier to move the fingers with respect to the taking point of the grippers.

4:. A rotary carrier provided with grippers, means for operating the grippers. a table, a sheet stop comprising a plurality of fingers, their rocking support and a. movable carrier for said support, means for rocking said support to raise and lower the fingers, means for adjusting the carrier to move the fingers with respect to the takirur point of the grippers while the carrier is rotating.

5. A rotary carrier provided with a fold ing ofl device and grippers, means for operating the grippers, a table. a sheet stop, its rocking support, a movable carrier for said support, means for rocking said support to raise and lower the sheet stop, and means for adjusting the carrier .to move the sheet stop with respect to the taking point of the grippers to adjust the fold line.

6. A rotary carrier provided with a. fold ing off device and grippers, means for operating the grippers, a table, a sheet stop, its rocking support, a movable carrier for said support, means for rocking said support to raise and lower the sheet stop, and means foradjusting the carrier to move the sheet stop with respect to the taking point of the grippers to adjust the fold line while the carrier is rotating.

7. A rotary carrier provided with a. folding off device and grippers, means for operating the grippers, a table, a sheet stop comprising a plurality of fingers, their rockall" port, means for rocking said support to raise and lower the fingers, and means for ad justing the carrier to move the fingers with respect to the taking point of the grippers to adjust the fold line while the carrier is rotating.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this twenty-seventh day of December,1917.

HOWARD M. BARBER. 

